Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Deck (44)
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1
Q

British soldiers signed up voluntarily for World War I and saw it as a great adventure and an opportunity to be heroes.
They wanted to show their ____ and go to war for the glory of England. Much of their conception of war came from poets who suggested that war was a glorious experience.

A

patriotism

2
Q

What does the Latin title of the poem translate to?

A

The Latin title of the poem translates as ‘It is sweet and fitting’ suggesting that it is right for British soldiers to die for their country. It was used initially in an ode by the Roman poet, Horace.

3
Q

Why is the title ironic?

A

Wilfred Owen was angry at how these young men had been deceived and he was outspoken about the poets and journalists that gave the public false ideas about war, thus the title is ironic.

4
Q

What is the mood of the poem throughout the poem?

A

The mood throughout the poem is one of despair and exhaustion.

5
Q

How does the poem begin?

A

The poem begins with soldiers marching from one trench to another. We are made aware immediately of their extreme fatigue and the difficulties which they are enduring.

6
Q

What figure of speech is the line ‘Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,’ ?

A

‘Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,’ is a simile that compares these young soldiers to beggars weighted down by sacks suggesting their exhaustion and weak physical condition reinforced by ‘knock-kneed’ which conveys their difficulty in putting one foot in front of another.

7
Q

What does the simile ‘coughing like hags’ amplify?

A

The simile, ‘coughing like hags’ amplifies the dreary conditions which have made them sick and compare their racking coughs to those of old women (hags).

8
Q

How is his frustration evident?

A

His frustration is evident through the use of ‘we cursed’ and the use of the inclusive pronoun reminds the reader that Owen endured these experiences first-hand

9
Q

What does the reference to ‘sludge’ enhance?

A

The reference to ‘sludge’ enhances our image of the setting being rainy which has given rise to mud which is making marching even more difficult. There is the suggestion that there will be some rest and respite from fighting for these men as they turn their back on the battlefield.

10
Q

Despite moving away from the frontline, the ____ from the battlefield still haunt them.

A

flares

11
Q

Why is the rhythm slow?

A

The rhythm is slow to mimic their slow pace and the effort it takes them is conveyed by ‘trudge’.

12
Q

The conditions in which these men are marching is made clear to the reader and the image, ‘limped on, blood-shod’ provides an idea of their ___ and an image of their ____ feet which makes them go ‘lame’.

A

pain

bloodied

13
Q

What is the idea of blindness linked to?

A

The idea of blindness is linked to their tiredness as they simply cannot see any more because of their exhaustion.

14
Q

What does the metaphor ‘drunk with fatigue’ suggest?

A

The metaphor, ‘drunk with fatigue’ suggests they have no control over their actions or bodies just like a drunkard, but for the soldiers it is a consequence of their tiredness.

15
Q

Not even the ____ of ‘hoots of gas-shells dropping softly behind’ is enough to make them move more quickly – they simply cannot.

A

threat

16
Q

What does the rapid shift in rhythm at the beginning of stanza 2 convey?

A

There is a rapid shift in rhythm at the beginning of the stanza which conveys urgency and the need for them to put on their gas masks before the mustard gas gets to them.

17
Q

What does the dash in line 9 provide?

A

The dash in line 9 provides a pause which conveys the soldiers rushing to protect themselves, however, the ‘ecstasy of fumbling’ reminds us of their exhaustion and that their movements are awkward and uncoordinated.

18
Q

While the soldiers are able to ‘fit the clumsy helmets just in time,’ and are safe from the mustard gas attack, one soldier does not succeed and is left ‘yelling out and stumbling’ as he has not been ___ enough.

A

quick

19
Q

What do the connotations of ‘flound’ring’ convey?

A

As the gas envelops him, the connotations of ‘flound’ring’ convey his clumsiness and helplessness as well as his pain.

20
Q

What effect does the dash offer in Stanza 2?

A

The dash offers a dramatic pause in which these men watch him through their masks with ‘misty panes’ and cannot do anything to help him.

21
Q

What do the repetition of ‘green’ in ‘thick green light’ and ‘green sea’ show?

A

The repetition of ‘green’ in ‘thick green light’ and ‘green sea’ shows how the speaker is looking out at the man before him through the thick green pane of his gas mask.

22
Q

What does the metaphor of the ‘green sea’ and ‘drowning’ reinforce?

A

The metaphor of the ‘green sea’ and ‘drowning’ reinforce his struggle and his inability to help himself to overcome the situation in which he finds himself.

23
Q

The metaphor of the ‘green sea’ and ‘drowning’ reinforce his ___ and his inability to help himself to overcome the situation in which he finds himself.

A

struggle

24
Q

The effects of the gas on the lungs created the appearance of ____ as the lungs became blistered. The description of his desperation is ____.

A

drowning

palpable

25
Q

What is the two-lined third stanza used for?

A

The two-lined third stanza is used so that the speaker can step back from describing the situation and contemplate how he is unable to rid himself of the horror of this vision. He is unable to distance himself from his feelings of helplessness and inability to offer any assistance.

26
Q

What does line 16 echo?

A

Line 16 echoes the soldier’s desperation through strong verbs which are all associated with drowning.

27
Q

What does ‘plunges’ convey?

A

‘Plunges’ conveys his desperation and his struggle is reinforced by ‘guttering, choking, drowning’ which offers a vivid description of his struggle against the mustard gas.

28
Q

Stanza 3: Men returned from World War I suffering from post-traumatic ____ and these lines suggest that the speaker continues to be haunted by this memory. This reminds the reader that those who ____ the war were never really able to escape the horror of it, even when they were safely home.

A

stress

survived

29
Q

The reference to ‘smothering dreams’ builds on….

A

The reference to ‘smothering dreams’ builds on the nightmares of the previous stanza and that idea of being incapacitated, and unable to breathe, from the horror of them.

30
Q

What does the use of ‘flung’ suggest?

A

He describes their actions and the use of ‘flung’ suggests both an urgency and dehumanisation as though no matter their efforts, death is inevitable.

31
Q

We are given graphic images of this man and his suffering enhanced by the ____ of ‘white eyes writhing in his face’ which allows us to imagine his eyes rolling back because he can not control his actions which is further reinforced by ‘his hanging face’.

A

alliteration

32
Q

Provide an example of allusion from stanza four.

A

The use of the simile, ‘lie a devil’s sick of sin’ comparing the soldier’s face to the devil is an allusion to evil and conveys the evil of war as being too much even for the devil.

33
Q

What does the alliteration of ‘sick of sin’ suggest?

A

The alliteration of ‘sick of sin’ suggests how repugnant (detestable) war is and would even repulse the devil.

34
Q

Who does the poet address by using the second person pronoun, ‘you’ ?

A

He addresses the reader, and presumably those that see war as heroic, directly with the use of the second person pronoun, ‘you’

35
Q

What do lines 20-22 convey?

A

Lines 20 - 22 convey the graphic description of the soldier’s suffering conveyed by his ‘froth-corrupted lungs’ which allows us to imagine his lungs filling up with blood made more horrifying by the onomatopoeic, ‘gargling’.

36
Q

The speaker suggests that this suffering is as ‘obscene as cancer’ amplifying the ___ this man endures before he can escape his pain through dying.

A

suffering

37
Q

What is the tone in stanza four?

A

There is a bitter tone conveyed by the speaker as he describes the ‘vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues’ which reminds us of the massive scale of unnecessary suffering and death of these young men.

38
Q

What is the effect of stanza four?

A

The dash allows for him to offer a change in thought.

39
Q

Is his address of ‘my friend’ ironic?

A

His address of ‘my friend’ is ironic as he directs this at politicians who sent these men to war as well as those who perpetuate the stereotype that war is glorious. He suggests that these young men have been lied to and still believe ardently (passionately) that war offers them an opportunity for ‘some desperate glory’.

40
Q

How does he challenges these politicians?

A

He challenges these politicians and those who cling to the idea of ‘Dulce et decorum est’ and exposes the ideal as a lie stating that there is nothing sweet nor fitting about dying ‘pro patria mori’ for one’s country.

41
Q

What is his tone in stanza four?

A

His tone is caustic or scathing.

42
Q

What is the rhyme scheme?

A

The poem has a sustained rhyme scheme in which a four-line rhyme is created such as abab. This once again serves to remind the reader of the order or war in contrast with the chaos that takes place.

43
Q

The use of ____ is important because it slows the rhythm and mimics the slowness of the soldiers because of their extreme exhaustion.

A

punctuation

44
Q

What is the effect of the exclamation marks in stanza two?

A

The exclamation marks in stanza two create a sense of urgency, while the commas and dashes create pauses that enhance the slowness of the rhythm